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Microsoft's IP sharing: a capitalist answer to open source

Microsoft today unveiled a new business unit that will sell licences to some of its intellectual property (IP) to startup companies.

The software maker launched the programme to generate additional revenue from its IP portfolio, but is also eager to point out that this will help the overall software industry.

By working with venture capital investors, Microsoft expects to find new applications for its technologies that it hadn't thought of. The company's press release mentioned Inrix, a company that specialises in the prediction of traffic patterns. Inrix will use some Microsoft machine learning technology to improve traffic information services.

As an example of how the programme works, he pointed to a small company called Inrix. Microsoft has sold a licence for a machine learning technology to the start-up that specialises in the prediction of traffic patterns. Inrix will use the technology to improve traffic information services.

But Microsoft isn't just out to make some money. The programme is also aimed to show that there are alternatives to open source when it comes to "sharing" IP.

"IP is a currency. IP is valuable in the software space. We don't think giving it away is using the right approach. Especially is you have very innovative technologies that consumers value," David Kaefer, a Microsoft director of business development told vnunet.com.